Top ten beauty tips

Welcome back to my blog!

Today I thought I’d share with you my top beauty tips I’ve picked up over the years. I know what you’re thinking, you’ve seen this post over and over (I have too), so I’ve tried to narrow it down to ten unique ones you may not already use.

1. Moisturise

Lets start with skin. A good base is the key to flawless makeup and moisturising makes the world of difference. Wheather you use it as a primer or before you go to bed to rejuvenate your skin, moisturising should be a key part of your skincare routine. Not only does it keep your skin hydrated, it also replenishes the natural moisture, leaving your skin soft and refreshed. A common misconception (that I too used to believe) is that those with oily or acne prone skin shouldn’t moisturise. This is far from true! If you have oily skin or acne prone you can get moisturisers suited to your skin type. My favourite is my Lush, a little on the pricey side at £18.50 but it is made specifically for oily skin and is hands down the best moisturiser I’ve used. Another favourite of mine and a cheaper alternative at £10 is L’oreal’s Hydra Genius aloe water  which comes in a range so you can find the perfect one for your skin type. Along with moisturising I’d recommend exfoliating several times a week to diminish dead skin cells and making your skin perfect to apply makeup on!

2. Less is more

Whist we’re onto the topic of skin I’d like to share my top tip for those with acne. I’ve suffered from acne for around 5 years now and although it’s been a long journey I have finally found products that control it and work well with my skin. We all know the ‘drink more water’ myth is just in fact a myth, so please don’t rely on that for perfect runway skin. Alongside this, using every ‘acne recommended’ product doesn’t work either, it does nothing but irritate your skin and can lead to it becoming worse. The key is to use a small range of products that work well for you rather than layering everything on top of another in hope that it will disappear. I plan on doing a skincare post soon, but the key products I’d recommend for everyday use are a face wash, cleanser, toner and moisturiser. Also keep a good face oil and face mask in your collection for when your skin needs that little boost. I’d highly recommend Lush skincare products, if you’re interested in seeing my favourites I will link my Lush skincare favourites here. I’d also recommend Pixi’s skincare range, especially the Glow Tonic and Glow Mud Cleanser.

3. Intensifying your shadows

This just has to be my favourite tip I’ve learned over the past few years and has completely changed my makeup game. If you’re from England you’ve most likely heard of Plousie and her academy based in Manchester. The academy provides online tutorials where you can learn how to get their signature look from the comfort of your own home. A few years back when I started watching her tutorials I picked up her technique of not setting your eyeshadow base. I know for some this seems daunting- but wont my eyeshadow crease? It wont blend properly?, but you’ve just got to trust the process. Admittingly it takes a while to get used to but what a difference it makes! Not only does it intensify the colour of you shadows it makes blending so much easier. It can also be useful when applying glitter to a cut crease as the tackiness of the base keeps the glitter in place. The best product to use for this is her very own shadow base, made specifically for this purpose. Nikkie Tutorials even named it ‘The best primer in the world’. However, if you can’t get your hands on this as it is always sold out, another alternative is Urban Decay Naked Skin concealer.

4. Making your highlight pop

It’s no secret that we all love to glow, but to really intensify your highlight apply it on top of setting spray when it’s drying down. I like to wait until my base is finished, spray my Urban Decay All Nighter setting spray all over, wait a few seconds then apply my highlighter on top of my cheekbones in patting motions. It’s important to leave it till the product has dried down slightly otherwise I find it can pull up your set foundation. Swirling the highlighter also has this effect as you’re moving the products so be careful to pat the product on gently. My two favourite highlighters to use are my MAC and my Anastasia Beverly Hills Glow Kit in ‘Sun Dipped’. I also apply it with a denser brush to intensify it further.

5. Brushes

Brushes are key to perfect any makeup look weather it be skin, base or eyes. The turning point for me in makeup was when I finally said goodbye to my beloved Realtechniques set of four brushes and indulged into the world of Zoeva and Morphe. At first I was overwhelmed, which brushes do I buy, which ones do what, but after narrowing it down through watching YouTube tutorials I picked a few. I now have hundreds of brushes in my collection, but start slow with the basics then build when you begin to advance to different techniques. For eyes I’d recommend a large blending brush for transition shades, as well as a denser blending brush if you’re playing with more colourful shadows. I’d also buy a crease brush, small and large as well as a pencil brush and a smudger brush to build up and smoke out colour as well as to work on the lower lash line. As I say, I have been building my brush set for years but start small and build on what you need. I personally find Zoeva and Morphe brushes just as good, or even better than Mac ones so don’t panic if you don’t want to break the bank! These brands also do brush sets, perfect for if you’re unsure which ones to buy.

6. Glitters and pigments

Glitters and pigments can enhance and change a look completely. Whether its fine glitter, chunky glitter, metallic pigments, iridescent pigments, we all know how messy they can be to apply. The easiest way to use them is to do them before your base makeup. I know for some this may be hard, as you like to start with your base and finish with eyes (this is what I do with everyday makeup/softer looks) but if you’re using heavy glitter or pigments they will have a lot of fall out. To save yourself having to redo your whole face or to prevent smudges of pigment and glitter fallout onto your nose, do your eyes first. This allows you to clean up after, and makes it even easier to do a clean sharp wing. If you’re anxious about cleaning the pigment and it effecting the shape of your eyeshadow you can always conceal underneath your eye and bake, making it easier to brush the fallout away.

7. Sharp eyeliner

We all know there’s nothing better than a crisp winged liner, but how do you really get it looking that sharp? For me, the key is to perfect after you’ve drawn it on. To make sure I have more control over my application I use NYX Liquid liner as it has a precision brush tip, perfect for creating ultra-fine lines. Once I have my wing I will go in with a damp Q-tip and from the base of the wing wipe it upwards. Not only should this create more of a wing shape it should bring some of the product up to the top of the wing, making it more thin and sharp. After this I like to go in with a concealer a few shades lighter to trace the outside of the wing to really intensify it. Voilà there you have it, the perfect winged liner.

8. Mastering falsies

For me false lashes were a life changer, I now wear them with most of my looks however, at first they were challenging and completely put off by them. As someone with small eyes trying to fit the whole lash on my eyelid proved a struggle, but I did not give up, resulting in it being squished uncomfortably in the corner of my eye. I then learned to prevent this I had to cut the lash to fit my eye. Daunting I know, especially if you’ve just spent £15 on a pair, but trimming them to suit you makes them work for any eye shape. Make sure to cut from the outer edge as the inner corner is created to fit perfectly there with the hairs being smaller. My favourite lashes to use at the minute are Tatti Lashes, you can read my review on them here. Simply adding lashes to the outer corner is becoming a popular trend particularly within red carpet and celeb makeup. Doing this helps to create more of a winged out effected, giving you the appearance of wider eyes. This may be a good place to start if you’re not confident in wearing lashes or you want something that little bit softer.

9. Reviving dry products

We all know how fast our trusty brow pomades can dry out, but don’t panic, this one easy step will get them looking as good as new. Simply add a single drop of your favourite facial oil and you’re good to go. This also works amazingly with cream contour palettes and other cream based products that have seen better days. By adding oil it turns it into a ‘paint like’ consistency giving an easier application. My favourite oil to use for this is my L’Oréal Paris Extraordinary Facial Oil. Be careful not to add too much oil as it could turn too watered down, making it harder to apply.

10. Find what’s right for you

Finally, the most important part of beauty is to find out what’s right for you. Weather its skincare, foundation, eyeshadow colours, everyone is different. Don’t feel discouraged if a product doesn’t look as good as how your favourite makeup artist applied it, look for alternatives suited to you. For example, if a foundation is dewy but you have oily skin you may want to look for a matte foundation. If you have blue eyes you may want to wear colours such as orange and pink to compliment them. There’s products out there for everyone, you just have to find the ones right for you.

If you’ve made it to the end thank you for reading! Let me know if you try out any of these tips and comment bellow if you have any to share!

Ellie x